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Chinese New Year Traditions
Subject area(s): Art, Art history, Social Studies Grade level(s): 2nd – 5th
Lesson Topic(s): Traditions, China, New Year’s Time Needed: 60 minutes
Materials/Equipment Needed:
- Chinese New Year handout (attached)
- Chinese characters handout (attached)
- Paper place mat from a Chinese restaurant showing the traditional Chinese zodiac
- Roughly 18 inches of string or yarn per student
- Two pony beads per student
- 1 chopstick or other sturdy stick per student
- Pencils
- Masking tape
- Glue or glue stick
- Red construction paper, 1 piece per student
- Paper plates, 2 per student plus extras for patterns
- Stapler (teachers only)
Essential Question(s):
- How do people in other countries celebrate holidays differently than we do in America?
- What holidays are celebrated in other countries that aren’t traditionally celebrated in America?
- How is the New Year celebrated in other parts of the world?
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will be able to:
- Understand that different cultures have different holidays and holiday traditions.
- Provide a basic definition of the Chinese New Year and tell why it is important to Chinese culture.
Before the Lesson:
· The students will need circle patterns that are slightly smaller than the circumference of the plate. Cut templates by cutting out the inner circle of the paper plate. Make several templates.
· Cut yarn into 18-inch pieces.
· Decide where students will sit when making the drum craft. It may be easier to have them sit in groups so they can share materials like glue, markers, and masking tape.
Introduction:
“Fun it up” by wearing a party hat and bringing a noisemaker to class. Students will no doubt be curious about what you’re doing. Inform them that you are celebrating the New Year.
Ask students if they celebrated the New Year. Ask them what they did and who they celebrated with. Ask for examples of traditions that many Americans share on New Year’s.
Hold up the Chinese placemat and ask students if they have ever seen one of these while dining out. Ask if anyone can explain the Chinese zodiac. Tell students that today they’ll be learning about how the zodiac corresponds to the new year in Chinese culture. (Note: Because of the use of the word “zodiac”, this lesson could be offensive to some if not presented properly. Be sure to continue stressing to students that the purpose of the lesson is to learn about Chinese culture, and play down any emphasis on zodiac signs, etc.)
Lesson Instructions:
1. Pass out the handout “Chinese New Year Fact Sheet.”
2. Call on students to read. Have a different student read each paragraph.
3. As you read as a class, stop when the class encounters an underlined word, and look at the back of the sheet (“Challenge Words”) for the definitions.
4. Have students read the “Traditions” portion of the worksheet silently. Then have them “Pair and Share” – they will turn to their neighbor and share one tradition they learned.
5. Explain to the class that they will be making a drum like the ones used in Chinese New Year parades. To each student, pass out: a paper plate, a piece of yarn or string, two beads, red construction paper, and a chopstick. Groups may share the markers, templates, masking tape, and glue.
6. Guide students through the steps of making a drum. (Refer to the attached sheet, “Drum for the Chinese New Year.”) When students have followed all the steps, staple their two plates together. Staple over the yarn to help keep it in place. Show students how to spin the drum to make the beads beat on it.
Conclusion
If you have access to a smart board or projector, show students clips of Chinese New Year parades and encourage them to use their drums to play along. Some suggested clips:
Assessment:
For homework, have students answer the questions on the worksheet. Use their answers to assess their understanding, and revisit as necessary.
